Neural Networks: What does the input layer consist of?

EDIT2: I added a fourth possibility based on two of the answers below. If I can do so without being rude, may I suggest that any answers that contain modifications to one of the possibilities illustrate their points with the example I have below? After reading each of the answers below several times, I can't help but feel that the four of us in this conversation so far are having four parallel separate conversations, clouded by ambiguous phrasing and terminology. I think illustrating with the example below would go a long way towards unambiguously answering the question so we can upvote a correct and crystal-clear answer for future searchers. Thanks for all the help and time put in so far!

EDIT 3: removed Possibility 4. I will clean up all these edits and make the question presentable once a consensus is reached. Thanks for the help, this community is awesome!

What does the input layer consist of in Neural Networks? What does that layer do?

A similar question is here Neural Networks: Does the input layer consist of neurons? but the answers there did not clear up my confusion.

Like the poster in the question above, I'm confused by the many contradicting things the Internet has to say about the input layer of a basic feed-forward network.

I'll skip the links to contradicting tutorials and articles and list the three possibilities that I can see. Which one (if any) is the correct one?

1. The input layer passes the data directly to the first hidden layer where the data is multiplied by the first hidden layer's weights.
2. The input layer passes the data through the activation function before passing it on. The data is then multiplied by the first hidden layer's weights.
3. The input layer has its own weights that multiply the incoming data. The input layer then passes the data through the activation function before passing it on. The data is then multiplied by the first hidden layer's weights.

Thanks!

EDIT1: Here is an image and an example for further clarity.

Also, I understand that there are many different "correct" implementations, but I am just starting, and am trying to get the basics down before I start working on my own implementations. An as-basic-and-standard-as-possible feed-forward ANN is what I'm looking for!

via Chebli Mohamed